[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 36 (Thursday, February 25, 2021)]
[House]
[Page H629]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                  EQUAL PROTECTION AND RIGHTS FOR ALL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
New York (Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney) for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in 
strong support of the Equality Act, long overdue legislation to 
continue the progress made under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Fair 
Housing Act, the Equal Opportunity Act, and other vital laws that 
prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or 
national origin.
  These civil rights laws were passed to provide critical protections 
for people who unnecessarily live in fear and were unfairly persecuted 
simply because of who they were. They were passed because the promise 
of America--equal treatment under the law--was nonnegotiable. It is 
still nonnegotiable.
  So with the Equality Act, we must take the next step to guarantee 
equal protection and rights under the law for all, no matter who you 
love or your gender identity. The Equality Act seeks to stamp out 
discrimination against the LGBTQIA community--something that we, 
unfortunately, see far too often.
  Mr. Speaker, no one should face discrimination in employment, 
housing, education, public space, or federally funded programs because 
of who they are or who they love. I am proud to be an ally of the 
LGBTQIA community and have worked to advance these rights and 
protections with groups and individuals throughout my career in public 
service, including hiring an out, HIV positive, gay man to serve as my 
first Congressional chief of staff.
  In 1986, while serving on the New York City Council, I introduced the 
first bill to legally recognize same-sex partnerships in New York State 
history, and I had to threaten the city of New York to even get the 
bill printed. City officials said the bill was unconstitutional and 
could not even be printed. And while we have made great progress--the 
bill was printed and passed since then--we still have work to do.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud that New York State recently enacted 
legislation to repeal the ``walking while trans'' ban, but we must 
ensure that the LGBTQIA community has these protections and equal 
rights all throughout the country. Access to equal rights should not 
depend on your ZIP Code.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to join me today in voting to 
pass the Equality Act so that every American, regardless of who they 
love has equal protection under the law.

                          ____________________